Ruth B. McIlhenny

Ruth Betsy McIlhenny, born on December 18,1949 in Philadelphia, PA, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 13, 2025. She was the beloved daughter of Robert and Elizabeth McIlhenny, formerly of Levittown, PA.

Ruth was the Lord’s good and faithful servant, a faithful prayer warrior, and a godly influence on everyone who knew her.  She was raised in a Christian family and accepted the Lord at an early age. We know with certainty that she is now enjoying eternal life with all her family and friends who were believers.

She graduated from Neshaminy High School , Langhorne, PA (class of 1967) and started her business career with Philadelphia National Bank in the steno pool and was promoted to a commercial lending officer in the central headquarters in Philadelphia.  She was later recruited to the Internal Security Division at PNB, investigating fraud and theft and liaising with both the local police and the FBI.             

Ruth relocated to Houston, TX in 1981 and continued her banking experience at Gibraltar Savings where she served in the Security Division. She later started her own secretarial support  firm, which led her into the educational development and corporate training field.  Prior to her retirement, Ruth was active as an administrator at The Ballard House, providers of free housing for patients in the world-class Houston medical complex. There, her sensitivity, compassion and kindness were felt by all who interacted with her.

Her greatest accomplishment was the love and complete devotion she demonstrated daily to her family and friends, especially to all her many nephews and nieces who affectionately knew her as “aunt mother” since she had no children of her own. She was especially close to her older sister Beth who was an anchor and steadfast confidante throughout much of her life. Her love of family also included taking care of her elderly mother, prior to her parents’ relocation back to Pennsylvania.

Ruth is survived by her sisters Jane McIlhenny Weik, Beth McIlhenny, and Grace McIlhenny Michael  (Keith) and her brother Charles McIlhenny (Jeanne), together with a host of nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Elizabeth McIlhenny, her brother, Robert McIlhenny, and her sister, Patricia McIlhenny Clungeon.